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H 8502Police & Prisons

Criminal Offenses - Victim Proximity Protection Act

This bill prohibits convicted sex offenders from living near their victims and mandates GPS tracking and no-contact orders.

Held for study
Population
Affected
15
Email Legislator
Introduced May 1, 2026Committee House Judiciary

Plain-English Summary

This bill creates the "Victim Proximity Protection Act," which establishes geographic restrictions on convicted sex offenders. It prohibits most sex offenders from living within 1,000 feet of their victim's home, workplace, or school. For Level 3 offenders, this distance is one mile. Courts can expand these zones up to three miles. The legislation mandates automatic no-contact orders and requires GPS monitoring for Level 2 and Level 3 offenders while on probation or parole. It also requires offenders to secure housing approval and ensures victims are notified when the offender is released.

For younger readers

This bill creates new rules for people who have broken the law by committing sexual offenses. It says these people are not allowed to live close to the home, workplace, or school of the person they hurt. A judge will decide exactly how far away they must stay. The person who broke the law must also wear a GPS tracker, which is a special electronic bracelet that tells the police where they are. Finally, they are not allowed to call, text, or talk to the person they hurt.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups
Victims of sexual offensesConvicted sex offendersParole and probation officersLandlords and housing providersJudges and court personnel
Impacted communities
All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

Moderate risk

Moderate Risk. The expansive exclusion zones (up to three miles) may face constitutional challenges regarding the right to travel, substantive due process, and the Ex Post Facto clause if applied retroactively. Courts in some jurisdictions have struck down overly broad residency restrictions if they effectively banish offenders from entire communities or severely restrict their ability to find housing, though the bill attempts to mitigate this by forbidding exclusion from "entire communities."

Estimated cost
Amount unknown
Estimated revenue
None

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints
For Progressives
  • Enhances the safety and psychological well-being of survivors of sexual offenses by ensuring their abusers cannot live in close proximity to their homes or schools.
  • Mandates clear victim notification upon an offender's release, empowering survivors with critical information to protect themselves and plan for their safety.
  • Provides an individualized approach by allowing judges to adjust the exclusion zone based on victim vulnerability and offense severity, rather than relying solely on mandatory minimums.
  • The creation of expansive exclusion zones (up to three miles) could severely limit affordable housing options for individuals reentering society, potentially increasing homelessness among former offenders.
  • Mandating GPS monitoring for all Level 2 and Level 3 offenders expands the carceral state's surveillance apparatus, raising concerns about privacy and the long-term stigmatization of individuals who have served their time.
  • Punishing willful violations of the exclusion zone with up to five additional years in prison could lead to disproportionate sentencing and exacerbate mass incarceration issues.
For Conservatives
  • Strengthens the rule of law by imposing strict, enforceable geographic boundaries and automatic no-contact orders to severely restrict the movements of convicted sex offenders.
  • Enhances public safety and protects traditional community values by keeping dangerous individuals away from schools, workplaces, and residential neighborhoods where victims live.
  • Implements rigorous enforcement mechanisms, including mandatory GPS tracking and a strong five-year prison penalty for violations, ensuring offenders are held accountable.
  • Grants broad, unchecked authority to unelected probation and parole officers to arbitrarily deny housing requests, potentially creating bureaucratic inefficiencies.
  • The requirement for ongoing GPS monitoring and enforcement will likely require increased government spending and the expansion of state bureaucracy to manage the surveillance.
  • Allowing judges to expand exclusion zones up to three miles could be viewed as judicial overreach, potentially infringing on the private property rights of landlords willing to rent to offenders.

Votes

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Full Bill Text

Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 65 additions

SECTION 1. Title 11 of the General Laws entitled "CRIMINAL OFFENSES" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following chapter: 11-37.4-1. Short title. This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the “Victim Proximity Protection Act.” 11-37.4-2. Purpose. The purpose of this chapter is to enhance the safety and security of victims of sexual offenses, prevent unwanted contact and establish enforceable geographic restrictions on offenders relative to specific victims. 11-37.4-3. Definitions. As used in this chapter, the following words and phrases shall have the following meanings:

(1) “Exclusion zone” means a geographic area in which the offender is prohibited from residing during any period of parole, probation or other form of supervised release as ordered by the sentencing court, and may include in the discretion of the court an order prohibiting the offender from entering a designated geographic area.

(2) “Offender” means any person convicted of a sexual offense under the laws of the State of Rhode Island or any other state and who is required, by virtue of that conviction, to register as a sex offender.

(3) “Residence” means any place where an offender lives for more than three (3) consecutive days or ten (10) cumulative days in any year.

(4) “Victim” means the individual against whom the offense was committed. 11-37.4-4. Victim proximity restrictions.

(a) In addition to the requirements and restrictions contained in chapter 37.1 of title 11, the sentencing court shall provide notice to the offender and impose an exclusion zone order to protect the victim(s) of the offense. Specifically, the court shall inform and order any offender, except a level three (3) sex offender, that the offender is prohibited from residing within one thousand feet (1,000’) of the victim's residence, workplace or school, which distance shall be measured from the nearest boundary line of the real property supporting the residence of the offender to the nearest boundary line of the real property that supports or upon which there exists the victim's residence, workplace or school.

(b) Any level three (3) sex offender shall be prohibited from residing within one mile of the victim's residence, workplace or school, which distance shall be measured from the nearest boundary line of the real property supporting the residence of the offender to the nearest boundary line of the real property that supports or upon which there exists the victim's residence, workplace or school.

(c) The court may expand the exclusion zone to a distance of up to three (3) miles after considering the offense severity, risk level, victim vulnerability and victim impact statements. Any justification or reasoning for such an expansion shall be made in writing and shall not be imposed for the purpose of excluding the offender from entire communities.

(d) The offender’s right to challenge the imposition of, or any expansion of the exclusion zone shall be governed by the appellate procedures outlined in chapter 37.1 of title 11.

(e) The restrictions on the offender shall be enforced during any period of post-conviction during which time the offender is on parole, probation or any form of supervised release as ordered by the sentencing court.

(f) In addition to the exclusion zone, the court shall automatically issue a no contact order with the victim(s) prohibiting the offender from having any direct or indirect contact with the victim. Direct contact shall include, but not be limited to, in-person contact, phone contact, text or email contact or any other contact in which the offender attempts to communicate with the victim, regardless of purpose. Indirect contact shall include, but not be limited to, electronic contact, digital contact, contact through a third party or any other contact in which the offender attempts to communicate with the victim, albeit not directly, regardless of the purpose. 11-37.4-5. GPS monitoring and enforcement. Level two (2) and level three (3) sex offenders shall be subject to GPS monitoring for the period of their parole, probation or supervised release and any willful violation of the exclusion zone or no contact orders shall be punishable by up to five (5) years imprisonment. 11-37.4-6. Housing approval. Offenders shall, prior to seeking housing after being convicted of any offense under this chapter, seek and acquire approval from the offender's parole officer, probation officer or any person charged with supervising the offender's release. Any denial of approval for housing by any parole, probation or supervision officer shall automatically preclude the offender from moving into or residing at the subject address. 11-37.4-7. Victim notification. Any victim of the offender shall be notified of the offender’s release from incarceration within forty-eight (48) hours of said release and shall be notified of the location of the offender’s approved address. 11-37.4-8. Severability. If any provision of this chapter or any amendment thereto is held to be unconstitutional, the remainder of this chapter and its amendments shall not be affected thereby.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.